Council of Europe news
DPC Open Day 2026: presenting achievements and impact in the field
In a time of rapid acceleration, the Council of Europe’s strength lies in clarity of direction. This message was at the heart of the Directorate of Programme Co-ordination’s (DPC) Open Day 2026, which showcased how co-operation translates political commitments into concrete and measurable...
“No woman should live in fear of violence”
Statement by Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset on International Day on the Elimination of Violence against Women 2025
Gender-based violence is the number one human rights violation of women in Europe. Democracy rests on the fundamental principle that everyone deserves equal rights and dignity and can live safely and freely. As our democracies are facing new challenges, women’s rights are increasingly called...
Protecting children from sexual abuse requires better evidence, not just criminal records
Ahead of the Day for the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse marked on 18 November, Council of Europe Secretary General, Alain Berset, emphasised the importance of gathering data from diverse sources – including education and healthcare sectors, helplines, child...
Regional workshop addresses evolving corruption challenges in Eastern Partnership countries
A two-day regional workshop on “Best practices in the investigation and prosecution of corruption” brought together practitioners and experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine. The event provided an opportunity to share experiences, discuss common challenges, and look...
COVID-19 pandemic: GRECO warns about corruption risks
The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has published guidelines addressed to its 50 member states aimed at preventing corruption in the context of the health emergency caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Guideline: English / Azerbaijani
Death Penalty Day: EU/Council of Europe joint statement
Marija Pejčinović Burić and Federica Mogherini ©European Union The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, have published a joint statement to mark the European and World Day against...
1st Regional Conference addressing Online child sexual exploitation and abuse
2019 The first Regional Conference on the Council of Europe’s project to end online child sexual exploitation and abuse @ Europe (EndOCSEA@Europe) is underway. While the exact number of victims of online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) is unknown, reports show that tens of thousands...
Implementing ECHR judgments: Latest decisions from the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers
The latest case-by-case decisions on the implementation of judgments from the European Court of Human Rights have been published by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. The committee adopted 26 decisions concerning 17 member states at the end of its quarterly human rights meeting in...
Implementing European Court of Human Rights judgments
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers is holding its quarterly meeting to oversee the execution of judgments from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg from 18 to 20 September. Decisions taken by the committee will be published on the Council of Europe website as soon as...
Call for activities to be held in co-operation with the European Youth Centres in Strasbourg and Budapest - 2nd semester 2019
The Youth Department of the Council of Europe invites non-governmental youth organisations, networks and other non-governmental structures involved in areas of youth work relevant to the Council of Europe's youth policy to submit applications for activities to be held in co-operation with the...
Azerbaijan: torture, impunity and corruption in law enforcement remain systemic and widespread - new anti-torture committee publications
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published today reports on six of its visits to Azerbaijan – in 2004, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017 – together with the responses of the Azerbaijani Government. Thus, all...
Implementing ECHR judgments: Latest decisions from the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers
The latest case-by-case decisions on the implementation of judgments from the European Court of Human Rights have been published by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. The committee adopted 30 decisions concerning 18 member states at the end of its regular three-day meeting in...
20th anniversary of the European Institute of Cultural Routes in Luxembourg
The Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe Programme (www.coe.int/routes), strong of 32 members Parties to the Enlarged Partial Agreement (EPA) and 33 certified Cultural Routes, celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the European Institute of Cultural Routes (EICR), in presence of the Director...
Secretary General 2018 Report: Role of Institutions, Threats to Institutions
Human rights, democracy and the rule of law depend on the institutions that give them form. But for populists, who invoke the proclaimed “will of the people”, these institutional checks and balances on power are often seen as an obstacle that should be subverted. The 5th annual report of the...
Council of Europe warns against reversal of progress in fight against corruption
New legislative initiatives in certain European countries in 2017 reversed reforms previously undertaken to strengthen the prevention of corruption or started reforms that may result in breaches of the Council of Europe´s anti-corruption standards. Although there was overall progress in...
Conference to launch the Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy 2018-2023
In the framework of the Danish Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, the international conference “Gender Equality: Paving the Way” will launch the Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy 2018-2023. The aim of the event is to address current and emerging challenges which prevent a faster...
Time to renew our commitment and halt the deterioration of human rights
“In 2017 the human rights situation continued to deteriorate in many European countries. Old crises deepened, new crises emerged and commitment to human rights values and standards seemed to weaken”, said today Nils Muižnieks, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights while presenting...
Code of Good Practice for Civil Participation in the Decision-Making Process
Upon a recommendation of the Council of Europe’s Forum for the Future of Democracy, the Conference of INGOs drafted a Code of Good Practice on Civil Participation in the Decision-Making Process. The principal objective of the Code of Good Practice is the definition of a set of European principles...
Eastern Partnership: Council of Europe and EU present joint project results
The Council of Europe and the European Union have presented results for their joint projects in the six Eastern Partnership countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus. The projects, conducted under the Partnership for Good Governance initiative, were aimed...
Statement on the occasion of the International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances
“The large number of people who have been reportedly forcibly disappeared in Ukraine as a result of Russia’s invasion in February is alarming. This abhorrent practice must stop”, said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović ahead of this year’s International Day of...